jacolis

Hi all,

We are planning on spending 3 nights in Normandy -- mainly because we want to spend one afternoon doing an organized tour of Juno Beach/Canadian cemetary with our school-age kids. It seems like most of the tours leave from Bayeux.

I am looking for a recommendation for where to stay for a few nights. In addition to the above-noted tour, I am interested in seeing the Bayeux tapestry. I have also heard good things about Honfleur (but according to Google maps it is 1 hour away). Wouldn't mind checking out Deauville but it is not a priority.

We will be coming from Paris - not sure if I need a rental car for this part of Normandy (especially if we book an organized tour for the D-day beaches). We will be driving on to the Loire Valley afterwards so are open to either renting a car for this portion or waiting until we get to Amboise.

Merci a l'avance!

Lisa

Andrew

I did this over ten years ago. I took a train from Paris to Caen, rented a car there, and stayed in Bayeux for two nights while exploring the D-Day sites. (Taking the train to Bayeux directly was possible but I think there were more rental car options in Caen or the train was direct or something.) I spent the last night in Caen where I returned the car then train back to Paris. This also worked well for me because the Le Mémorial de Caen museum is there, so it worked as a last stop.

Most people seem to love Bayeux. I thought it was a pleasant, quaint old town where the locals worked but abandoned after 17:00, with only tourists there in the evenings. Caen (which was mostly bombed out during the war and rebuilt) lacks some of the character of Bayeux, I guess, but I found it a much more lively town at night with more locals than tourists. Bayeux sure was a convenient base, though, especially for the tapestry. I don't see how you can go wrong staying there.

Driving in Normandy was easy and fun. It's beautiful countryside. I would rent a car if you can, just to give yourself the freedom to see more things than a tour or public transportation could get you to.

PalenQ

right about more car options in Caen and then you can hit the fantastic Caen Memorial, a museum that IME is the best overall one to orient yourself to the whole area before motoring onto Bayeux which by far IMO is the best city in the vicinity of the major D-day beaches and about the only city not blitzed to bits, like Caen was, during the war - a lovely old town with a lovely old cathedral.

That said kids may like being on the water for the stay and Honfleur, though relatively removed is not that far away and is also a lovely place, painted by numerous Impressionist and other schools or painters thru the ages.

If renting a car I would start from Paris IF you want to explore a bit of Normandy before Caen, like Giverny and Mnet's House and Garden or Rouen or Jumieges, a romantic old ruined abbey overlooking the Seine, etc.

If just wanting to blast to Caen a train will be quicker and perhaps cheaper than driving - www.voysages-sncf.com or www.capitainetrain.com for tickets - book far in advance for relatively minor discounts as this is not a TGV line but pretty much walk up fares are reasonable - discounted tickets tie you into a certain train on a certain date and since they are sold in limited numbers must be booked weeks in advance to guarantee. For lots of great info on French trains check out these IMO superb sites: www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

You can ALWAYS buy walk-up tickets once in Paris IME - no need to book in advance - very few trains if any on that route have mandatory seat reservations so it's open seating and you can always board IME.

chartley

Especially if you are Canadian, but even if you are not, I would recommend a visit to the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles. It is all about the Canadian contribution to the Second World War, and puts that contribution into the context of the history of Canada.

Details are at www.junobeach.org. We could only spend a brief time there, but are determined to return.

The museum at Arromanches is also well worth a visit. Details at www.arromanches-museum.com.

jacolis

Thank you very much all. Does anyone have any specific tour recommendations (half day) for a company that does the Canadian landing sites (i.e., Juno Beach, Beny sur Mer) specifically?

As for the logistics, I think we will end up taking the train to either Bayeux or Caen (depending on rental car availability).

It seems like we have the option of either returning the rental car in Caen and taking a direct train to St. Pierre de corps (4 km from Tours) OR driving from Caen to Amboise. They seem to both be @ 3 hours. Not sure if that main highway has some scenic parts (notably going through Le Mans?) or if we should just take the train and pick up a new rental in St. Pierre de Corps.

Thanks again!

Gretchen

I recommend Hotel Bayeux==and someone on here did also just recently. 5 minutes from the Cathedral and 9 from the tapestry

rmfish

In June, I (along with my teenage grandson) took the train from Paris to Bayeux and spent three days. The train was very easy and I'd do it again. We stayed at the Villa Lara which was terrific. We had a view of the cathedral which was only a few minutes walk as was the Tapestry Museum. The Hotel Churchill was next door and seemed fine. Tours left from the front of the two hotels. We used Overlord Tours which offers several day and half day options. We were pleased with them but there are also several others advertising on line.

sanderskn

Really recommend Hotel Bayeux! Bayeux is such a wonderful town. The tapestry is amazing and it's very convenient to all the DDay sights. Also don't miss the cathedral there.

cdnyul

Last year we stayed in Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer at Hotel St-Aubin.
It is right in front of Place du Canada, next to the 50mm anti-tank gun.

Walking on the beach at early morning was a special moment for me.

Our goal was Normandy only, we had no interest in anything else.

As a rule we always have a car and don't do organized tours.

Mark

mamcalice

Bayeux is a very charming and pleasant place to base. It is one of the few towns in Normandy spared by the German bombs so it retains its old world charm. While you can see the beaches by tour bus, it is nice to have a car in Normandy to esplore at your leisure.

bilboburgler

"quaint" deep breath, it is a walled town with building to match. The tapistry is a significant document, well preserved and displayed.

Normandy is also famous for its cidre (which in Europe is alcoholic) its calvados, its cheese and its copper pans.

jacolis

Thanks all. For the benefit of other posters, there was much more availability in terms of car rental from Caen so we will be taking the train from Paris St-Lazare (direct 2 hr train) to Caen and getting a rental car. (Note there was also a direct train from Paris to Bayeux - also 2 hours).

I want to book a half day guided tour to the Cdn WW2 sites but we will have our own car to explore otherwise. And since we will have car I would like to drive to Honfleur and visit a calvados producer on the way back! Unfortunately the Hotel Bayeux is not available for our dates so I am checking out other options noted above.

We will definitely visit the Bayeux Museum and Cathedral. On our way to Amboise we will stop at La Falaise to visit William the Conqueror's Castle (I think my kids would enjoy that).

Thanks again. The Normandy bit is really coming together.

StuDudley

Of the 500 or so villages in France that we've visited - Bayeax would be in the bottom 1/4 as far as "charm" & interesting stuff is concerned - but it is the "best" in WWII area. There are more interesting villages in the Pays d'Auge, IMO. However, the tapestry in Bayeux is fantastic as is the Normandy Invasion museum.

We found several of the beach resorts around Honfleur to be more interesting than Deauville - which we thought was kinda bland architecturally.

The relatively new William the Conqueror's museum is OK - not fantastic. It only gets 1 star in the Michelin Green Guide. The Saturday farmer's market there and also the Automates Avenue museum were very interesting.

I would drive to Amboise. The old section of Le Mans is quite nice - but the shopping streets are rather "ordinary". They have a nice market also.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

This is from my longer Normandy & Brittany itinerary - which I think you have. If not, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach the entire itinerary to the reply e-mail. If you don't have my Provence/Cote d'Azur itinerary - ask for that one also.

GG is the Michelin Green Guide for Normandy

Pays d’Auge*++ see PAYS D’AUGE in the GG
This is the Normandy countryside that makes this region famous. Follow the route in the Michelin guide. From Honfleur, head towards Pont l’Eveque, and then get on the D48 heading south towards Lisieux. Skip Lisieux* and then get on the D64 heading south from Lisieux. Follow the route clockwise.

While on the above GG route:
- St Germain de Livet*+. This is a very pretty chateau.
- Liverot – this town is famous for its cheese by the same name – one of the best in Normandy. There is a very good self-guided tour through a cheesemaking facility just to the south of town on the “white” road that runs through town (not the D579). There are a few half-timbered buildings in town (BTW, I would not recommend a visit to Camembert)

Once back at Lisieux, head west on the N13, then the D50 & find your way to Cambremer. First, stop at Pierre Huet for a tour of the Calvados distillery, and then a tasting. Then walk 100 meters to the wonderful Les Jardins du Pays d’Auge*+. This was by far the best gardens we visited in the region.

After the gardens, take the D101 southwest to Crevecoeur en Auge (see CREVECOEUR in the GG). Crevecoeur is an interesting Chateau*, although it’s more of a series of buildings where there are displays and films about Normandy Architecture.

Retrace your route east on the N13 to La Boissiere, and then head north on the D59, continuing on to the D117/D85/D146 to Beuvron en Auge*+. This is a very pretty village – perhaps the “cutest” in Normandy. Our gite was very close to here, and we had a very nice dinner at the Michelin 1 star Le Pave d’Auge* in Beuvron.

Return to Honfleur

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Of the 500 or so villages in France that we've visited>

Bayeux is certainly not a village by any stretch of imagination but a regional city so to compare it to the typical bucolic idyllic true village is like comparing apples to pine apples IMO.

And as cities go it is about as nice as any fair-sized town I've been in out of zillions I have seen in decades of visiting all parts of France by car, by bike and by train.

tom_mn

Just a general comment about the landing beaches: they are increasing pristine as one goes west, so Utah beach is in an undeveloped area where a person can imagine the landings. Omaha beach area is partly developed. Juno beach however is in a fully developed area and the monuments (primarily of De Gaule) are squashed between a marina and beach condos.

Gretchen

I found the cathedral in Bayeux to be very poignant.
Be sure to make reservations and eat at Le Petit Bistro (gender!!??). It was the best meal we had in France that year!!

PalenQ

Omaha beach area is partly developed.>

I stayed in a campground there smack overlooking miles of pristine beaches - with a few abandoned navy ships still stuck in the water. Yes it has some development but is also a really nice beach - on the rare day when it is warm enough to even think about swimming...

StuDudley

Of the hundreds of cities (population > 10,000) I've visited in France, Bayeux is in the lower 1/8th. It is roughly the same size as Sarlat, Figeac, Dinan, & Uzes, - but that's where the similarities end, IMO.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Yes I agree about cities in the grim north of France vs those in the south like Stu points out being infinitely older looking and thus more romantic than Bayeux - but given all of France Bayeux is not bad - not in the league with inherently romantic cities of southern France but for the north better than average IME - nearby Caen is bigger but was blitzed in the war so is a modern - nice but thoroughy modern city lacking any old-world romance folks like in French places, which you really find very few of in the north - Romanesque architecture in the south if partly to account for the cuteness and those are just older cities that missed out on industrialization that swept the north and turned old dilapidated small cities into modern urban areas which to me have some of the very tackiest developments in all of Europe - Orleans where I often stay being a prime example - the old center is pristine but modern but like any sizable French city the periphery National roads are just a blight - huge bill boards, tacky box stores - just not what one would expect in France - even southern cities have this plague but as they are not as economically well off or were not modernization did not take place in the days when French cities in the north were demolishing wide swatches of town centers (as they did in Orleans in the old Vinegar District; Orleans being once a major producer of vinegar) and also destructive modern wars have decimated northern towns much more.

And of course Baron Haussmann forever changed Paris into a modern town with only vest-pockets of old-world romance - like in the Marais because I understand it was a swamp.

so reflecting on it I agree with Stu overall including the south but not overall including all French cities.